Alice works as a high school English teacher and is married to her husband, Doug. Brett serves as the society’s manager and has two delightful children. Catherine is a thriving real estate agent and the society’s vice president. And the newest member, Birdie, lives a comfortable life as a socialite and bestselling author.

But there are weeds growing in the lives of these society members.

You see, Birdie only joined the society after a reckless driving incident, which legally mandated that she complete community service hours. She’s also trying to reconnect with her biological son, Ford, whose adoptive parents want Birdie completely out of the picture. Meanwhile, Alice discovers that someone shot and killed her missing dog. After Brett divorces his wife for cheating on him, he must compete for his children’s affection with his wife’s new husband, Connor. Catherine, to compensate for her husband’s cold attitude starts an affair with a coworker named Gary—serving as just one of many of the man’s affair partners, she discovers.

Clearly, Alice, Brett, Catherine and Birdie each have a weed in their lives that they need to take care of.

And buried deep beneath the soil of the Gross Pointe Garden, one of these weeds has been, um, taken care of.

The only question: Who?

Whodunit With a Twist

If you’re familiar with “whodunit” style murder mysteries, you probably know what to expect: Someone finds a battered but recognizable dead body, a detective interviews the potential suspects and finally the murderer is revealed at the end.

But Grosse Pointe Garden Society is a whodunit with a twist.

Battered and anxious, Alice, Brett, Catherine and Birdie heap piles of dirt onto an unidentified dead body in the opening sequence. The series’ detective seems to be in cahoots with one of the murderers. And the audience waits with bated breath for the victim to be revealed.  

But there’s more to the show’s twisted nature than its narrative spin.

Characters use profanity, including “b–ch,” d–k,” and “a–” and misuses of God’s name, and several characters indulge in alcohol usage and smoking. Additionally, in the second episode of the series, characters allude to abortion.

Several plot lines feature romantic cheating. Catherine sneaks behind her husband’s back to have the affair with Gary, and until she discovers his other affair partners, she seems entirely unremorseful. Likewise, Brett’s ex-wife seems equally unapologetic about her affair and the resulting divorce, which affects their two young children.

And as you might expect, since the primary protagonists are immediately presented as murderers, Grosse Pointe Garden Society features elements of violence, too. Birdie describes the macabre nature with which her fellow accomplices committed the crime, and the series opens as the crew buries their blood-covered victim. Compared to your average murder mystery, though, NBC’s drama significantly tones down its emphasis on these violent elements.

Grosse Pointe Garden Society certainly has its imperfections. So while its creative spin and colorful characters might be your inspiration to dig in, you might get a little dirty doing it.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out. )

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The powerful story of David and Goliath—where David, through the power and providence of God, saved Israel from its enemies with a sling and stone—is so well known that even secular audiences use it to describe an underdog situation.

But ask that same secular audience about the rest of David’s life—his rise from shepherd to prophet-anointed king; the long years he spent fleeing from King Saul in the wilderness; his terrible fall into sin and the lifelong consequences he faced as a result—and chances are they won’t be as well-versed in those events.

House of David may be their—and your—entry into learning the rest of that story.

The Promises of God Shall Stand

Of course, you can’t tell David’s story without telling a few others—most notably, King Saul’s. House of David’s first moments picture the aftermath of Saul’s battle with the Amalekites (found in 1 Samuel 15). Saul has disobeyed the commandment of God, and the prophet Samuel tells him that God has rejected Saul as king.

It’s a solemn warning that Samuel had given years before: “Only fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things He has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king” (1 Samuel 12:24-25).

And as Saul turns away from God, He is raising up an unlikely man to take Saul’s place: David, the youngest son of Jesse, born of a different tribe than Saul, who’s busy tending to the flocks while his brothers fight in the war. By any metric, what man would choose David to succeed Saul? But, as a scene in House of David reminds us, the Lord does not see as man sees. For while man judges by external appearances, God looks on a man’s heart. And so, as an evil spirit from God torments Saul, the Spirit of God rushes upon David.

Saul is determined to maintain his power. But God has determined that David will reign—no matter how much resistance Saul brings.

Shepherd, Soldier, Sinner, King

On its surface, House of David is a political thriller. Saul doesn’t accept God’s decree, so he (and in this adaptation, his wife, Queen Ahinoam) instead dives deeply into political conspiracy and threats. And as they quickly devolve from being passively resistant to the changes in the kingdom taking place to being actively hostile to them, we see that it’s not just David they’re scheming against; soon, it’s the prophet Samuel. And then, it’s even their own, God-fearing, son, Jonathan.

But dive a little deeper under the surface, and you’ll find that every move in House of David is deeply spiritual. Viewers would certainly expect this from David’s side of the story, of course; the man “after God’s own heart” comes from a less-than-regal background, and it’s only by a working of God that he could ever hope to take the throne. But in every action taken by Saul and Ahinoam, too, we see not only their movement away from God but also their embrace of pagan practices. Every political decision, then, is intrinsically a statement about how the characters view the God of the universe.

Christians know that the story of David goes well beyond his God-given victory over Saul and Goliath—and we know the grime that comes with the rest of his life, too. It’s grime that the show, so far, isn’t afraid to put to screen—an attitude not always present in typically sanitized Christian media. In House of David, when people die in combat, for instance, they bleed, and in no small trickle, either.

Taking Dramatic Biblical License

But merely depicting the strict biblical text telling the story of David’s life does not a TV series make. After all, that’d be an awkward watch, what with the books of 1 and 2 Samuel covering approximately 150 years of history. That’s why viewers will find that House of David takes some extra-biblical liberties with its storytelling. It’s a concern that may be best described by the same words we used to describe The Chosen, Dallas Jenkins’ creation which covers the life, death and resurrection of Jesus:

“It’s fiction, in other words—fiction that was inspired by and embraces Scripture, but fiction that nonetheless feels free to remove and (mostly) add elements as the story—not theology—demands.”

Most of those added elements seem harmless. If David writes dozens upon dozens of the Psalms, it makes sense to watch him practicing on a lyre. Other elements seem to be inspired by various Midrashic texts (Jewish rabbinical commentaries on Scripture). For instance, the show follows a midrashic reading of 2 Samuel 21 in depicting Ruth’s sister-in-law, Orpah, as the mother of the giant Goliath.

But viewers could take issue with other creative moments—such as when, in the opening moments of the first episode, Goliath’s javelin strikes David, leaving him bleeding on the ground and struggling for a stone.

Still, I think viewers can take some comfort and may be willing to extend grace to the show knowing director Jon Erwin’s comments on the subject.

“I love the material,” Erwin told Plugged In. “I feel like the material is life-changing, and so you want to try to really honor the themes of the story while making a dramatic television show. … As a parent, I find it so hard to get my kids aware of or interested in the Bible at all in this visual generation they live in, and so, if all we do is to start a conversation about the material again, so people reengage with the Bible, we’ve succeeded.”

House of David streams on Prime Video.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

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Ted learned as much when he saw more than half his Los Angeles firm vanish in a moment. His business partner, Silas, conspired to write Ted out of the practice altogether—after compelling Ted to merge their firm with another’s—all because of a rude comment Ted had made months before.

Now, Ted’s once-revered firm teeters on the brink of collapse as he and his remaining faithful scramble to pick up the pieces—and to steal back some clients Silas took in his departure.

The biggest client Ted has brought back is Lester Thompson, the famous actor who allegedly shot and killed his business partner. Despite Lester’s pleas of innocence, the evidence seems to point the other way. But if Ted could prove that Lester didn’t do it, the case might just be a big enough win to restore the firm to its former glory.

Full Disclosure Agreement

Ted hails, originally, from New York City, though he moved to Los Angeles because of bad memories and worse choices. But for fans of the original Suits series, that New York connection is just what they needed to hear to know that they’ll see some of the original series’ characters again. The creator of Suits LA said as much in an interview with TVLine, discussing how he planned to connect Ted to Suits protagonist Harvey.

And that connection tells audiences everything they need to know about Suits LA, content-wise. While the series, so far, isn’t as sexually salacious as its predecessor, kindling and current romances indicate that there’s nothing stopping the TV-14 show from heading that direction. However, our comment about the original series being full of “sour language and rampant bad behavior”? Yeah, that observation still rings true.

Suits LA brings viewers back into the cheesy world of television lawyers, where every case is the biggest one and everyone has the perfect comeback at a moment’s notice. But not all cheeses age well, and, despite the series seeming prime to give Ted a series-long bout of character growth from cocky to kind, it’ll be up to viewers to determine if Suits LA is “gouda” or not.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

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After a psychop killed one of his best friends, Matt dropped his pointed cowl, set aside his billy club and stopped being Daredevil.

“A line was crossed,” he tells someone. “I felt like I lost the privilege. And despite the good that I was doing, I was causing damage.”

Matt still fights the good fight, of course—just not quite as literally. As a lawyer, he defends those he believes to be innocent. He does his own little part to battle New York City corruption. And he still promises to keep an eye on Wilson Fisk … the city’s newly elected mayor.

And Fisk? He, too, has changed. Or so he says.

He’s no longer that brutally cruel criminal mastermind known as Kingpin. “A rich man, by his very nature, is self-serving,” he says. “A mayor serves his city.” And he has promised the voters, and himself, that he’ll serve them the best that he can. He’s done earning blood money. He’s through killing his enemies. And his longtime enmity with Daredevil? Perhaps the two can finally bury the hatchet—somewhere else besides each other’s heads.

“I’m not that man anymore,” Fisk swears to Matt.

But change is hard. Especially if part of you doesn’t really want to change.

The Devil You Know …

The new title sequence for Daredevil: Born Again features a series of crumbling statues, which fits: It’s not long before cracks in the facades of these “changed” men begin to show.

Fisk may want to improve New York. His voters would certainly like to believe so, and they’re all too willing to push aside his blood-red past and put their faith in his no-nonsense, can-do spirit.

But that past has generated its share of skeptics, too—Matt Murdock among them. “Why can I not shake the feeling that you’re trying to game the system?” he tells Fisk. And when those skeptics stand in the way of Fisk’s idea of progress, it’s easy to slip into some bad habits: a threat here, a bribe there, and a little blood just might grease the wheels of progress. Fisk has always been able to get his way, after all. And he’s never been one to worry much about bruised egos … or broken bones.

Matt has his own issues. He’d love to follow the rule of law—which, as a lawyer, he’s determined to make work for his clients. But sometimes those rules can be twisted. The law can be bent. Sometimes, the bad guys wear badges, and the good guys have nowhere to turn—except to an outside-the-law vigilante like Daredevil.

Matt and Fisk believe they’re polar opposites of each other. But they share more than they’d care to admit. And what they share, in Born Again, grows a bit more: Heather Glenn is Matt’s new girlfriend—and Wilson Fisk’s marriage counselor.

Small world.

The Road to Hell’s Kitchen

Around the time that the Avengers were tangling with the AI monstrosity Ultron and Ant-Man was fighting Yellowjacket on a toy train, a different sort of Marvel superhero started stalking the mean streets of Hell’s Kitchen—and the boulevards of Netflix.

Netflix’s Daredevil was grim, gritty and rated TV-MA—the equivalent of an R-rating in the world of movies. Blood was spattered. Curse words were hurled. Was the show good? Aesthetically, yes, and it brought in a welcome element of faith. (Matt Murdock’s Catholicism is a critical part of his character, and a bulwark of his no-kill ethos.) But the three-season story arc was brutal, too, and hardly the stuff that families could watch together.

Netflix closed out the series in 2018, turning the rights over to Disney—the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s corporate overlord. And while Daredevil (played engagingly by Charlie Cox) has showed up in some MCU properties since, Daredevil: Born Again marks his return as a true front-line superhero.

And the show is a return to form—for good and ill.

Born Again feels more like Matt Reeves’ The Batman than the MCU’s Avengers: There are no multiversal or extraterrestrial threats—just a lot of crime, corruption and Kingpin to deal with. The show is aimed at adults who like multilayered storytelling and complex characters.

But it is, of course, more “adult” in other ways, too.

Bad language, including f- and s-words, is strong and pervasive. Despite Matt’s Catholicism (which, in the early episodes, at least, seems a bit downplayed by Disney), the character has no inhibitions about diving into bed with someone else if the opportunity strikes.

And speaking of striking … wow, is this show violent.

Daredevil may not kill. But sometimes he seems to skate by that scruple on a technicality. He’ll break bones, crush skulls and shed an incredible amount of blood in bringing his foes his own painful form of “justice.” And while Wilson Fisk is playing nice in the early going of this series, you just know that’s not going to last. The people who die here might feel like they got off easy.

Matt Murdock may think he’s changed. Wilson Fisk may think he’s changed. But Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again? It feels much the same as its Netflix predecessor—if not a bit bloodier. And for families who trust Disney to give them family friendly fare, that’s hardly a welcome return.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out. )

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First, she dropped out of medical school. Then she broke off her engagement. But one thing that Dani hasn’t quit is her belief in God. She knows that God has a purpose for her. And she believes that if she steps out in faith to follow His calling, He’ll provide the rest.

Which is how she wound up working as an EMT for the County Rescue department. It’s been a tough road, and the destination still isn’t exactly clear.

Dani feels like she’s on the path God wants her to be on. However, during her training, she was one of three candidates vying for the one permanent job available. And Dani didn’t get it. But she managed to snag a temporary position after another EMT took a six-month leave of absence to seek help for his alcohol addiction.

Now, that six-month window is coming to a close, and Dani still isn’t sure where God wants her. To make matters more confusing, she’s just learned her ex-fiancé, Hunter, has moved back to town and taken a position as an ER doctor at the hospital—the same one she delivers patients to when she’s on duty. If another EMT position opens up and Dani stays, she’ll have to contend with that complication (not to mention the two other guys who are also romantically interested in her). But if she goes, she’s not sure where God will send her next.

Still, Dani’s friends reassure her: If she’ll just have faith and allow God to speak to her, He’ll show her exactly where He wants her to be.

Comforting Rescue

Many TV fans love their medical dramas. One need only look to the success of shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, The Good Doctor or Chicago Med (or beloved older series such as ER, St. Elsewhere or even M*A*S*H, for that matter) to understand that. But Great American Pure Flix brings something new to the genre that makes it stand out against the rest.

County Rescue doesn’t have any foul language or sordid affairs. Dani allows her faith to guide her decisions, not her next romantic liaison. Other characters allow their faith to govern their lives, too. And although not everyone here is a Christian, even nonbelievers are positively impacted by the conviction of their faith-filled coworkers.

Like other medical shows, things can still get pretty intense. Dani and the other EMTs are saving lives, after all. Some people crash under that pressure. (One of Dani’s coworkers takes to drinking, eventually seeking professional help for his addiction.) But no matter what hardships they face, the team comes together like a family, supporting one another and lifting each person up.

And don’t worry, if you’re drawn to this genre’s penchant for interpersonal drama, there’s still plenty of that: Dani is the romantic interest of at least three guys, after all. But it’s all presented in a wholesome, comforting way that will make you root for the characters, not gossip about their salacious antics.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

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In fact, the state’s been in the grips of depression ever since World War I wrapped up. While the rest of the country enjoys the “Roaring Twenties,” the ranchers in Montana are struggling to survive. Drought and locust infestations have caused the little remaining grass to be dried up and eaten, leaving little left for the thousands of grazing animals still needing food. Disease plagues the cattle who do find their cud. And even if that weren’t the case, the demand for agricultural products has fallen, meaning there’s less money in ranching anyway.

It’s left a lot of ranchers in a desperate situation, including Jacob Dutton, the surviving brother of 1883’s James Dutton and current owner of Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. He’s the state’s livestock commissioner, and his decisions during these trying times aren’t leaving everyone happy ranchers—particularly, Banner Creighton and his fellow shepherds, who feel that their sheep are being overshadowed in favor of cattlemen. If their sheep don’t get the grass they need, they’ll certainly die.

But the Creightons aren’t the only threats. Plenty of other players think that the decade is the perfect time to pounce on all the Duttons hold dear, such as businessman Donald Whitfield. He thinks that, what with the increase in automobile ownership, Montana’s the perfect place for tourism growth … if only ranchers like the Duttons weren’t in the way. That’s why Whitfield’s taken the liberty of prepaying those property taxes James is behind on—and if James doesn’t repay him soon, he’ll take their land for himself.

Where the Deer and the Antelope Fight to the Death

Paramount+’s 1923 is the sequel to 1883, both of which stand as prequels to Yellowstone. And two things remain constant throughout. First, the Dutton family owns its Montana ranch. And second, they’ll fight to the death for it.

For fans of the franchise, 1923 will be a welcome addition to their viewing repertoire—one that’ll give additional insight into the callous family business. The inclusion of Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren will certainly draw the attention of others, too.

But, if its older counterparts didn’t warn you enough, viewers can expect a whole lot of blood-soaked violence, even including onscreen male rape and the physical abuse of a female prostitute. Likewise, full-frontal female nudity is frequent and salacious. And these ranchers don’t rein in their language, either.

And if all that wasn’t enough, a Catholic school for Native Americans is filled to the brim with priests and nuns who don’t mind abusing the kids under their care.

So while Whitfield might think the Dutton ranch is the perfect spot for tourism, we’d advise you book your vacation elsewhere.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

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Everyone around her–doctors, therapists, friends and even her own husband–tell her that she attempted suicide. Medical records confirm this. But Sophie can’t remember why. 

Why would she want to end her own life, when it seems so perfect? Her husband, James, is an investment manager that’s afforded them an easy, affluent lifestyle. Her best friend, Caroline, is wild but seemingly consistent. She owns top-of-the-line clothes and appliances. She volunteers at a hospital. I mean, the only thing she really must worry about is how to keep herself busy. 

Someone like that wouldn’t want to end their life. Right? 

Unless, of course, that life is a lie. 

The problem is that Sophie can only remember small details of her daily routines before the “accident.” Large memories, especially memories about who she really is, have vanished. It’s like she’s living in someone else’s body, going about her day in a haze. 

That all starts to change when Sophie attends a neurofeedback session–therapy that’s supposed to jog her memory and help her piece together the shards of her reality. And the more she uncovers, the more her idyllic existence proves to be a muddled falsehood. 

Tess Who?

Turns out, Sophie’s forgotten life is complicated. Very complicated. She’s also a woman named Tess, in fact. And in Season Two, Sophie sets up shop in London, where “Tess” once lived. She still can’t remember why she nearly died, but she knows it has something to do with another mysterious death: her mother. And Sophie believes London may hold some very important clues.

Her first task: to link up with an old lover named Eliza Huntley. Sophie/Tess learns that the Huntleys are moneyed members of the British aristocracy, awash in high fashion, real estate and scandal. Turns out that Tess worked at the Huntleys horse stables years before, where she and Eliza connected.

But while Eliza’s never forgotten the ensuing heartbreak, Tess has blanked on pretty much everything. Not the easiest set of conditions to reingratiate oneself into one of Europe’s wealthiest families. But given that more than a few all-too-literal skeletons litter the Huntley closet, she grows to suspect that someone in the family orbit may have killed her mother.

And who better to help with her investigation than an actual investigative reporter? Callum Walsh has been working for years to unlock the sordid story surrounding the Huntleys. Tess just might be the key.

When the Surface Seems Shallow, Is It? 

Surface, Apple TV+’s long-simmering series, is founded on the mysterious. 

This TV-MA thriller has a few things going for it. It’s a well-cast show, and it’s pinned to a pervasive mystery that continues well past the first episode. The draw here is, of course, the fact that the main character has no idea what is going on in her own life–and each episode attempts to reveal a bit more about the truth. 

But truth is subjective here, as it seems no one can be trusted. Including the show itself.

The world that Surface sinks its viewers into is one filled with sex (including same-sex relationships), violence and murder. Foul language (including the f-word) are part of the dialogue. So far, sexual scenes are shot at angles that only insinuate what’s happening, and blood and trauma are experienced in flashbacks. But as this is in fact an MA-rated show, there’s no telling what else may lie underneath the surface of future episodes.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

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That’s the number of confirmed deaths that occurred during what becomes known as Zero Day—the day when, for a single minute, someone managed to hijack and shut off the United States’ computer systems. For one minute, subway cars collided with each other; critical life support turned off; airplanes were left without communications.

And for one minute, everyone’s phone displayed the same haunting message:

This will happen again.

The U.S. government has no leads on who the perpetrators might be. But they’re quick to set up the Zero Day Commission, filled with the best and brightest, to investigate the attack. It’s given powers of surveillance, search and seizure, and “if necessary, even the suspension of habeas corpus.” In other words, the temporary commission is unmatched in its power.

And as both Congress and President Mitchell approve its creation, the question on everyone’s mind is: Who could lead such a thing?

The answer is the former President, George Mullen, liked by most across both parties and able to rally American citizens with moving speeches. And as he accepts the position, he promises to the cameras that they’ll do things by the book and make sure the truth comes to light.

But the political landscape is far different from when George was in office. Even his own daughter worries that it’ll eat him and his patriotic optimism alive. And she’s not so sure that anyone, even the well-liked George, can stay true to his word when given that much power.

And that’s not even mentioning how George may be losing his mind.

Left in the Dark, Look for the Light

Add Zero Day to the growing list of entertainment properties looking to capitalize on America’s divided political sphere. Because at its root, this show dives deep into division.

When Zero Days hits, it’s not long before protestors start throwing out ideas as to who is really responsible: socialists, Russian sympathizers, insurance companies. And, throughout the show, it seems Americans across the political spectrum are all complicit in making a bad situation worse.

And that’s part of the point of Zero Day. No one denies that the attack was devastating. But with no true enemy to blame, it’s not long before people start offering scapegoats—and as all that finger pointing turns to paranoia, it threatens to do more damage to the country than the attack itself ever could.

That’s a fair warning, and it’s a reality George wrestles with in every decision he makes. Because although there’s no doubt that George wants the truth, he’s not so sure that it’s what the country needs. Even if he finds the true perpetrators, down to the name and number, will Americans be ready to accept it and move forward—or will he just be the one granting a whiff of blood to hungry sharks?

While we’re on the topic of blood, viewers should note that there’s a bit of violence here: someone gets tortured, someone is kidnapped and drowned, and a group of people are shot and killed. And as far as other content issues, while we don’t see anything critical, a couple people take off their clothes. And you’re sure to hear a handful of f-words in each episode, too.

On Zero Day, America went dark. It’s George’s job to restore the light—both literally and symbolically. But with those content concerns, you may find that task harder to do than expected.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

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Some folks might wish their knees would twinge when Jack Reacher nears their city limits. He’s like a thundercloud: Big, powerful and impossible to miss. And once he’s in town, it’s too late: The storm’s just about to break.

Big Guy, Big Problems

It’s not that Reacher goes looking for trouble; well, not often, anyway. He travels from town to town, stopping in for a piece of pie here, buying an old vinyl record there. He calls himself a hobo, and he lives his life without strings: no family, no real friends, not even a Facebook account.

Weird how trouble always seems to know where he’s heading.

In Season Three of Prime Video’s Reacher (based on Lee Child’s book Persuader), our hulking hero goes undercover to investigate … a rug importer. That’s right, Zachary Beck imports rugs. But that’s not all authorities believe he’s involved in. Might he be smuggling in drugs? Reacher means to find out.

But it won’t be easy. Not only must he live at Beck’s well-armed, heavily guarded compound, he must partner with the DEA. And as a rule, Reacher doesn’t like to partner with strangers. Moreover, Reacher’s after different quarry. Seems that Beck is working with a guy from Reacher’s past—a former military intelligence officer named Quinn. Back in the day, Quinn moonlighted as a spy, selling secrets to the bad guys. And he just happens to be one of the toughest, meanest, bloodiest hombres Reacher knows.

And trust me, Reacher has known plenty.

Reach for the Why

Reacher began his long, bloody career in Lee Child’s 1997 novel Killing Floor. He’s since fronted another 25 books and been the cornerstone of two aptly named movies: Jack Reacher and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.

Those movies starred Tom Cruise, who at 5-foot-7 doesn’t quite measure up—literally—to the massive character Child envisioned. The Prime Video show (the first season of which was based on Killing Floor) seeks to correct that, trading out Cruise’s charismatic hero for Alan Ritchson’s glowering, hulking, straight-faced killer.

And it’s not just Reacher who’s bigger these days: The problems are, too.

Cruise’s Jack Reacher films were both rated PG-13. Primes’s reboot, if it were a movie and not a television show, would be rated a hard, bloody R.

People die with some frequency, and often in some really horrific ways. (A Season One victim was stripped naked and nailed to his own wall.) Even those that don’t die suffer nasty, wince-inducing injuries. We see and hear bones snap. Fisticuffs can leave loads of people bloodied and bruised. Knives cut. Bullets fly. If the character Reacher is a harbinger of storm, his clouds don’t come with rain, but blood.

Profanity blows in on the winds of this Amazon storm, too, with the occasional f-word and frequent s-word howling through the speakers. We see nudity and sensuality as well, though our characters rarely have much leisure time.

You have to ask how unlucky Jack Reacher has to be: Trouble seems to follow the guy. And from what I can see, some of that trouble might go straight through the screen.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

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Of course, not everyone feels the same as Coach Dan, namely his daughter Laurie. She hasn’t made a single play all season—not one hit, one catch, one game-winning throw. And she’s starting to believe what everyone is saying: that she’s only there because she’s the coach’s kid.

Laurie isn’t the only one stressing out before the big game, though. Teammates, parents and even the umpires are all facing their own insecurities, anxieties and fears.

But what they’ll all learn soon is, in the game of life, it doesn’t matter who wins or loses: It’s about how you look at it.

Some Wins, Some Losses

Win or Lose is the first original series to come from Disney’s Pixar. But it faced some heavy scrutiny even before it aired: In December 2024, Disney announced that it had pulled a transgender storyline from the series.

“When it comes to animated content for a younger audience, we recognize that many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline,” a Disney spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.

The character still exists in the show (and is voiced by a trans person), but the verbal cues indicating gender identity have been removed. And given Disney’s proclivity for introducing LGBT storylines (2022’s Lightyear and Strange World both featured gay characters), there’s still a chance other LGBT characters could pop up. (Indeed, the janitor of the Pickles’ school behaves in an effeminate manner that may suggest same-sex leanings to some.)

There are some other heavy topics to be mindful of, as well. Laurie’s parents are divorced and still struggling to find a balance in their co-parenting. Rochelle, Laurie’s teammate, is being raised by single mom Vanessa, who is facing her own insecurities and challenges. And Frank, the umpire, after trying out a dating app, is heartbroken to learn that his ex is now engaged. However, these topics are largely navigable if parents are able to walk their younger viewers through them.

Some potentially less navigable issues include a few misuses of God’s name. Laurie prays to God, asking him for help during a softball game, but we also later see her mom doing a Tarot card reading. Viewers will be exposed to some mild violence (a girl gets walloped by a softball to the face, for instance) and occasional toilet humor.

Win or Lose does do a couple of things well. Parents (ahem) step up to the plate, reassuring their kids and helping them through difficult times. Friends are there for each other. And teammates learn that the most important part of the game isn’t winning or losing; it really is about having fun.

For parents, Win or Lose is far from a home run. Will it round the bases and slide into your home? It’ll be up to you to say whether this lands fair … or foul.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

The post Win or Lose appeared first on Plugged In.